Chapter 28 It's you!

"Oh my God Diane! Diane, I can't believe it's you; wait, you're his wife?" Karen asks in shock. "Karen, I can't believe it's you?" Diane said her hands still at her mouth as Karen hug her." "Wait a minute, you ladies know each other?" Gabriel asks looking at the shocked expressions on both their faces. Karen was the first to answer. "Yes we do, we used to work in the same complex and we always ran into each other on our way to and from work. I would even go over to the apartment that she works and we would talk for a while but then you left, I always wondered what happened to you. I wrote your number down on a piece of paper but I lost it so I couldn't get in touch with you, I miss you." Karen said hugging Diane again.

"I still can't believe it's you," Diane said still trying to get over her astonishment. "Is this a small world or what?" Karen asks. "So where did you go anyway?" Karen asks again. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving it's just that everything happened so fast," Diane said; her mind still reeling. "That's okay, I remembered the name of the church you told me you attend and I've had it in my intention to come to look for you but never got a chance to but when I heard they were having a concert I came there to see if I could find you but I found Gabriel instead and because I was so angry at him I ended up just running away."

"I did see the person running up the road but I had no idea it was you." "I'm glad I found you again Diane; I missed talking to you; but girl you look like you're about ready to pop, how far along are you?" "I'll be fully seven months in two weeks," Diane said massaging her stomach.

"Wow, you're big for seven months," Karen said touching her stomach. "That's because I'm having twins." "Okay now that explains it, you're a very lucky man Gabriel." She comments giving him a sweet smile.

"I know and I think I should get my wife home so that she can get some rest." "Of course but not before I give her my number." "I'll call you tomorrow so we can catch up," Diane told her as she got back in the car. "But wait, you can't leave yet; what if he comes back?" She asks in a panic. "Can I come home with you guys please, I don't want to be here alone?" She pleads.

"Here's what I will do, I'll get a friend of mine to come over and stay with you. She will keep you safe just let me call her." He said walking away. "Oh my, I can't believe you're his wife. How did you land a man like him anyway?" She asks looking over at him. "He was the one doing the landing actually." Diane giggles.

"Okay she's on her way, she's in the army so she should be able to keep josh away from you. We're going to leave now so go inside and close the door, let no one in but her okay." "Okay it was nice seeing you again, thank you both for helping me." "You're welcome and if that slime ball comes back Gabriel's friend will kick his ass okay," Diane told her as Gabriel starts the engine. "Good to know okay; bye."

During the drive home, Diane keeps picturing Gabriel and Karen together, and even though it happened a long time ago, she still couldn't help but feel jealous because Karen was beautiful. She has very long processed hair, beautiful brown eyes, big breast and curves in all the right places, and beautiful light brown skin.

Diane could understand why Gabriel was attracted to her because back in the day on their way to and from work guys would always call to Karen and not her but since she had practically sworn off men she didn't really care. But what was really troubling her was that she had finally come face to face with the woman Gabriel had been telling her about and it turned out to be someone she knew.

What were the odds of that? She thought looking over at him. He hadn't said a word since he got in the car; she ran her fingers along his cheek and he turns and smiles at her. "Are you okay?" She asks softly. "Actually no, I'm not." "This mess is really getting to you isn't it?"

"I guess you could say that and then there is the fact that I'm going to have to live with the knowledge that the person that I hurt so badly turns out to be your friend; how am I going to live that down?" He snorts in shame. "By putting it behind us, you have already been forgiven by God, by her, and by me so now we just have to leave it in the past and move on." She stated. "That's easier said than done baby girl but I'll try."

After Gabriel left the house the next morning, Diane called her sisters upstairs and fills them in on the events of the day before. "You know, it's people like him that give Christians a bad name," Dana comments after Diane was finished. "And it's a man like him that is causing so much tension in Christian marriages because the wives now want to used condoms and the husbands don't because they swear to their wives that they're not cheating but with husbands like him you have to protect your self against STDs." Diana adds.

"I don't think Josh's wife knows that he's cheating on her which makes it even easier for him to infect her but you know what I find strange? Seeing as though Gabriel was the player and the womanizer, I would more expect him to be unfaithful but instead, he's the one advising our church Brothers to be faithful when they are the ones that should be advising him." Diane said and Diana shakes her head in approval.

"That's why they always say not to judge the book by the cover; Gabriel is a walking sex magnet and he has the ability to get any woman he wants but he makes the decision on a daily basis to remain faithful to his wife and a few of these church brothers could take a page out of his book. And speaking of Gabriel, I see he has taken out more of his family's photos." Dana said looking at the photos that were displayed around the room

"Isn't it great, he can finally look at them without having a panic attack?" "Thanks to you." Dana reminds her. "Yeah, it was like locking yourself in a room with a panther, not a wise idea I might add." "But it works," Dana admits. "Yeah it did and I couldn't be happier." "So you mention that this Karen girl is very pretty." Diana commented as she strips the sheets from Diane's bed.

"Yes, she is," Diane replied, trying to hide her jealousy but not before her sisters notices it and exchange worried glances. "Do you think she'll be a problem because they were together more than once?" Diana asks taking another sheet from the closet. Diane shrugs her shoulders. "She and Gabriel have a history so maybe but I don't think I will be able to compete with her right now seeing as though I'm out of commission for another few months where sex is concerned." Diane finishes sadly.

"And I bet she would be more than willing to accommodate him, wouldn't she? I wouldn't worry about it though because no matter how beautiful she is Gabriel isn't going to cheat on you." Dana said resting a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder. "That may be true but I still think he'll be tempted and if he does decide to act on that temptation I wouldn't be able to stop him. All I can do is keep him satisfied so he won't feel the need to act on his temptation and I'm going to need the both of you to help me." "Sure just tell us what you need." Diane began pacing back and forth. "Alright, I'm going to need a dozen red roses, whip cream, melted chocolate, strawberries, Japanese food, and four slices of sweet chocolate cake so which one of you can get all that for me?"

Diana paused in the middle of the room with a pillow in her hand. "Well, you already have chocolate, strawberries, and whip cream so we only need to get the other stuff, I can do that." 'Thanks, Diana, I want to give my husband a wonderful and relaxing night."

"Well we're here to help, I'll also take Jasmine home with me tonight, give both of you a little privacy," Dana adds. "Thanks, Dana, that's very nice of you." "You're welcome, at least your man appreciates things like this, the last time I did something like this for my man he thought I was crazy, told me how much money I was wasting and all that and still he was sleeping with my niece; asshole." She grumbles.

"Mine told me the same thing," Diana said laughing. "I'm going to get the things for you, Dana you help her fix up the room." While Diana was out getting the stuff, Diane chooses the room next to Jasmine's and she and Dana began fixing it up for her special night. At one pm while Diana was packing out the things she bought Diane call Gabriel.

"Hi, beautiful what's up?" "Nothing, where're you now?" "I just left Alex's house and I'm now on my way to meet my aunt for lunch and sign some papers for the hotel, then I'll be meeting with the family of my driver to discuss the funeral, I should be home after that." "Okay baby, be safe, I love you." "I love you more; if you need me before that, just call okay." "I'll baby bye."

Diane then went back into the kitchen. "Gabriel has a lot to do today, he probably won't be home until seven, so after we're finish decorating the room we can do a little Christmas decorating as well, the yard is finished and so is most of the house, we only have the dining room and the living room left, Gabriel, Jasmine and I will finish decorating the tree when she comes back home tomorrow."

She was sitting in the living room watching T.V and eating cheesecake when Diana walks in. "Hey sis, it's almost seven so we're going to head home so you can get ready for your big night." Diane was about to answer when her phone rang. It was Gabriel. "Hi, baby boy." "Hi beautiful, pastor asks me to give the youth service message tonight so I'll be home a little later than I planned. So um…..could you ask your sisters to stick around until I get there." "Sure." "Thanks, baby girl, I'll see you later, I love you." "I love you more, bye."

"Is everything okay?" Diana asks. "Yeah, pastor asks Gabriel to give the message tonight so he won't be home until about nine," Diane replied biting her bottom lip. "Want us to stick around till he gets here?" "Could you? I would really like the company."

"Sure no problem, now we have time to make those chocolate cupcakes Jasmine has been begging us to make," Diana said. "Are we ready to go?" Dana asks walking into the room. "No, change of plans, Gabriel has to give the message in church tonight, so we're going to stick around a little longer and bake cupcakes while we wait." Jasmine came in just as Diana finishes her sentence about the cupcakes.

"We're going to bake cupcakes!" She shrieks. "Yes, sweetheart we are." Diana answer. "Yippee! I'll go get the cupcake mix." Jasmine screams and ran from the room. "They can't get enough of him can they?" Dana asks as they follow Jasmine into the kitchen. "And I understand why, you see, Gabriel doesn't preach, he teaches and he often uses his life as an example to make sure you understand what he's saying, he doesn't use fancy words or bravado he just keeps it simple, and give little funny jokes in between." Diane said with a soft chuckle.

Diana got the mixer and the bowls and put them on the counter then turns to her sisters. "The truth is, some of them come to hear the message but some just come to stare at him because the other day I saw him getting out of the pool and let me tell you, the guy is ripped, his stomach is as flat as a surf board and his biceps, good lord," Diana said fanning herself with her hand. Dana rolled her eyes at Diana and went to turn on the oven. "Well, of course, he has a flat stomach Diana, the guy exercises every morning and he drinks that Supligen and eggs thing every day, I still don't know how he can swallow that thing, it's awful." Dana comments; making a funny face.

Diane smiled at her sisters. "It's awful but he likes it, he has been drinking it since I met him. You know the passage that says; when you get baptized you become a new person? Old things are passed away and all things become new, well let me tell you, Gabriel gave meaning to that passage because I still can't believe how much he has changes, even his aunt can't believe it. I was a hundred percent sure he would have remained a womanizer." Diane said.

"Me too, I mean, why would a guy like him settled down with one woman when he could have a dozen if he wanted.' Diana ads, "That's just it, he had a dozen, all of which I'm assuming were extremely beautiful but he was also very messed up, he was still grieving the death of his family." Diane said massaging her stomach.

"The man had porn in every inch of his house not to mention he was addicted to pain pills, sleeping pills and he was taking steroids and he told me that now and again he would mix all those with alcohol. He was really a mess but look at him now, if you just met him you would never have known he was like that." Diane finished. "You know, I hear Desreen say that the hand of God is upon him and I think she is right," Diana said as she put the cupcakes in the oven and gave Jasmine the spoon to lick off.

It was nine-thirty when Gabriel walked into the kitchen and Diana and Dana were busy packing the cookies on a carrying sheet. "Good night ladies.' "Hi, Gabriel." They answer in union. "Where are my wife and daughter?" He asks as Dana hands him a cookie. "Diane is upstairs and Jasmine just went up to say goodbye, she's coming home with us for the weekend." "Okay, you ladies have a good weekend; we'll come to get Jasmine after church on Sunday." He smiled because he knew that this was probably his wife's idea which means that she had something up her sleeves.

"No, you won't, we'll be bringing her home on Monday morning. The two of you just relax this weekend and that's an order." Diana said. "Okay then, I guess the only thing left for me to say is thank you." He said arching his brows. "You're welcome, now go find your wife and don't worry about locking up, we'll lock up and set the alarm when we leave, and if you need more cookies they're in a sealed container on the counter."

On his way up the stairs, he saw Jasmine running at a high speed towards him. "Hey, hey, how many times do I have to say, walk, don't run, running down these stairs can be deadly, little one." "Sorry daddy, I forgot. I'm going to spend the weekend with Aunty Dana and I will be taking lily with me." She gave him a big hug and kissed him on his cheek. "Bye daddy, I love you." "I love you too pumpkin, enjoy your weekend okay."

"Okay daddy, mummy has a surprise for you." She said with a big smile and went running down the stairs again. "Walk Jasmine." He said loud enough so she could hear. "Sorry, daddy." Gabriel smiled and shakes his head at the child as he walks towards their bedroom.

Diane came out of the bathroom as he enters their bedroom and walking over to him she buried her fingers in his hair and kissed him passionately. "I missed you." She whispers against his lips. "I missed you more.' He whispers back and slips his hands beneath her robe. "Not yet, I left a robe on the back of the door for you, take a shower and put it on." She orders. "Only the robe?" He asks mischievously. "Only the robe." She answers biting her lips. "What're you up to?" He asks smiling down at her. "You'll find out soon enough, now go take a shower." "Alright, I'll be right back." He said kissing her lips gently and walking into the bathroom.

Food for thought

Faith expects from God

What is beyond all expectations?

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